


Wrapped around the pinky

by armethaumaturgy



Series: The effects of absence [2]
Category: Elsword (Video Game)
Genre: But mostly angst, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5374832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armethaumaturgy/pseuds/armethaumaturgy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Really? Lusa said he looked for you and couldn’t find you anywhere.” Mastermind shrugs and moves to the kettle. He’s more interested in his dose of caffeine than Esper’s reply.<br/>“Mhm. Guess he didn’t look hard enough."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrapped around the pinky

Esper bites off a piece of a cookie just as Mastermind enters the kitchen.

“Oh, Esper,” Mastermind says instead of a greeting, his tone flat. “Where were you all day?”

Esper turns to face him, holding the bowl of cookies to his chest like the inventor would steal it. He swallows the chocolate-y taste before answering. “In my room,” he says simply. He didn’t really feel like doing anything today, so he just stayed inside all day. He almost fears the other will be angry.

“Really? Lusa said he looked for you and couldn’t find you anywhere.” Mastermind shrugs and moves to the kettle. He’s more interested in his dose of caffeine than Esper’s reply.

The brawler had probably wanted to spar again.

“Mhm. Guess he didn’t look hard enough,” Esper mutters and heads back to his room down the hall, just a tad bit quicker than usual.

He closes the door after himself and, in turn, opens a dimensional portal. He hums quietly as he crosses through the pulsing pink and purple.

His room greets him with faint purplish glow and the smell of roses. He places the bowl of cookies onto the table and sits on the edge of the bed.

The dark colors of the walls calm him further, as always providing a great imitation of the night sky. The portal closes on its own and the room falls silent. Esper savors the calm atmosphere, breathing deeply and slowly.

This had become like a hideout to him. This small pocket dimension, where he'd hidden away things until it became a room, is his. There are many pocket dimensions that he uses, mainly for hiding things away, but none of them resonated with him as much as this one.

It had also become a prime place to hide when he didn't want the others to find him.

He can still feel his legs ache; him and Lusa had ended up sparring for the better part of yesterday, until it was so dark outside that even their Dynamos weren't enough to light up enough space to fight anymore.

Esper hates that he can't say no to him, can't refuse any of the heartfelt requests. He knows - he knows - that Lusa only cares about refining his fighting style, about getting stronger, but still, he's the one who the berserker comes to, and that makes his chest warm. He isn't sure with what, though.

And it's also surprising that Mastermind hadn't asked him for help today. Maybe the scientist had been too tired to? He's not sure, but he isn't going to complain one bit.

Having to look at the corruption of his body, with the added bonus of Mastermind's intrigued commentary, never ceased to make him nauseous.

Yet he never could decline, since there was no one else with a body like his - maybe Glave, but there was approximately no chance of getting him to do any of what Mastermind wants.

Though, lately, he started taking any changes to slip away and hide so he wouldn't have to actually decline. So far it worked, since neither of the others knew how to open dimensional portals. Nor did they know which pocket dimension he is in.

He takes another cookie and nibbles on it as he curls up on the bed. Sleep takes him over easily.

* * *

Arc's smile is soft and warm and matches perfectly with his hands as they bandage Time's burned arm. Though his brows are set in a worried frown, he says nothing.

Psych, however, lets his mouth run as much as he wants to.

"You gotta be more careful, Time! What if it had blown up in your face?"

Time can't do much more than just smile sheepishly. It was true that he didn't heed the Dynamo overheating and kept revving it more and more, but really, it had been helpful to his research, and if a burned arm is the price for that, then so be it.

Psych's face is also set in a deep frown, though his eyes betray his concern.

Arc finishes the bandage, tucking the small bow he had tied underneath a layer and patting the unhurt part of Time's lanky arm.

"There you go," he says. "Don't pick at it."

"I won't, I won't," Time promises, though he's sure he will start picking at the corners in less than an hour.

Arc shakes his head. Then, after a brief hesitation, he wraps his arms around Time's midriff and hugs him. It's awkward since it's from the side, but Time doesn't mind.

They don't comment on it, they don't need to. The small squeeze Arc's hands do on his back is more than enough to convey all the words they never could.

Psych's arms are winding around them in a minute, making the hug even warmer than it already had been. Time wraps an arm around each of them and holds them close, basking in the warmth.

They don't need words anyway.

* * *

Esper wakes up to the feeling of tears staining his pillow. He sits up, blinking them away.

He'd had the dream again. Or, better to say, the memory. It's almost like he can still feel the reassuring hold of the others around him.

He wipes his face hastily, and decides to go grab a glass of water.

The real world is plunged in darkness, small rays of moonlight leaking into the hallway through the windows and making his trek doable. The kitchen, in comparison, is bright with the white lights.

Lusa stands by the counter, leaning against it with his hip while he chugs down a strange concoction that he likes to call a smoothie.

Esper immediately thinks about bolting back, but the brawler had already taken notice of him. "Esper! I've been looking for you!"

"Yeah, Masi said that…" Esper mutters, slinking in with much less vigor.

"Where were you? Let's spar again!"

Esper averts his eyes. That's the last thing he wants to do right now. "I'm working on something right now. Plus it's the middle of the night."

Lusa pierces him with his gaze, and Esper has to force down the urge to fidget. Then, he utters words that completely petrified the time traveler.

"Don't you like me anymore, Esper?"

Esper tenses up, looking at the other with wide eyes.

How finds himself almost yelling, desperately, "Of course I do!"

"Then why don't you want to spar me?"

Esper swallows heavily. "I'll spar with you, don't worry," he says. All he can see is Psych in front of him, with that heartbroken look he always had when he didn't get as much attention as he had wanted.

He completely misses the satisfied, cunning grin spreading across Lusa's face.


End file.
